Where do we set the default settings for tools?

Here is a link to an explanation of how to get key-ins to change tool settings: http://communities.bentley.com/communities/other_communities/askinga/w/askinga/how-to-extract-keyins-for-the-tool-settings-in-microstation-v8i

What you do is open the key-in browser, then activate the command (like drop element). Before you do anything else, type "set item toolsettings" into the key-in browser. The various options will appear in the fourth column. Find the option for the toggle you want to set, and add =1 to set it (=0 unchecks the toggle).

You have to go to your dgnlib and use Customize to modify the tool key-ins. Copy the tool from the Application Tools (which can't be modified) to User tools. Then select the tool and edit the key-in line in the Command Data window.

I used this method to do exactly what you are asking for. I figured out the toolsettings key-ins to set the line strings/shapes and dimensions toggles on in drop element. This is my key-in: drop element;set item toolsettings stringstoggle=1;set item toolsettings dimensionstoggle=1.

For settings with more than 1 option, 0 sets it to the first option on the list, 1 sets it to the second, 2 the third, and so forth.

Here is another example. I want the place circle tool set to method=center, with the radius option checked. The key-in is:
place circle icon;set item toolsettings placecirclemode=0;set item toolsettings radiustoggle=1;set item toolsettings showasradius=1

Hope this helps. I've modified the settings for a number of tools this way.

Alternatively  create a custom tools menu for you company ie ABC TOOLS

via the customise the interface.dgnlib file and add icons to the custom menu or a custom  menu bar  with text only and add the keyins suggested last post and just keep adding to them ..

Then make sure all the user worspace.cfg files have that modified  dgnlib pointed to over the network...

Most important lastly  train users to use the custom menu tools instead of the default ones...

before V8i we had the settings manager... I have one user who refuses to give up the old settings manager so for him I had to create a macro and assign it to an F key to force the old settings manager to work under v8i ss2..  some people just want to keep working the same way they always  have and cannot embrace change...

you have to be able to accommodate everyone and still maintain productivity...

Alternatively  create a custom tools menu for you company ie ABC TOOLS

via the customise the interface.dgnlib file and add icons to the custom menu or a custom  menu bar  with text only and add the keyins suggested last post and just keep adding to them ..

Then make sure all the user worspace.cfg files have that modified  dgnlib pointed to over the network...

Most important lastly  train users to use the custom menu tools instead of the default ones...

before V8i we had the settings manager... I have one user who refuses to give up the old settings manager so for him I had to create a macro and assign it to an F key to force the old settings manager to work under v8i ss2..  some people just want to keep working the same way they always  have and cannot embrace change...

you have to be able to accommodate everyone and still maintain productivity...